Body armor strand-structure methodology

ABSTRACT

Structure, methodology and performance involving and utilizing body armor strand material which includes an elongate strand body possessing elongate brittle ceramic surface structure, elongate ductile core structure disposed within that surface structure, and elongate brittle/ductile transition structure operatively interposed and joining the surface and core structures. Methodology includes the steps of preparing a defined mass of elongate ceramic-surfaced, ductile-cored strand elements, each including, along the outside of its length, elongate, sharp-angular edges, and placing that mass in the impact path of such a projectile in a manner whereby edges in the strands face the projectile impact path. Response performance of the invented strand material includes using fragmentation of a surface-hardened ceramic therein to dissipate energy, cutting an impacting projectile into fragments and deflecting those fragments, and telegraphing fragmentation of the ceramic material through a brittle/ductile region in the strand material to a ductile core-region wherein resulting deformation of this core region further dissipates projectile energy.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Division of prior-filed, currently co-pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/103,688, filed Apr. 12, 2005, for “BodyArmor Strand Structure, Method and Performance”. The entire disclosurecontent of that prior-filed application is hereby incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to strand-style body armor (body armor strandmaterial, or structure), and in particular to the armoringperformance—i.e., the armoring methodology—offered by such structure.

There is a pronounced effort currently underway to develop extremelylight-weight body armor which can defeat dangerous projectiles, such asbullets. The present invention addresses this issue in a quite effectiveand non-intuitive manner by proposing that body armor be formed byextremely light-weight elongate strand structure, formed by elongate,slender strands which, effectively, are made of a unique “ductileceramic” material, preferably based upon titanium. These strands includebrittle ceramic outside surface structure which joins through acontinuous, internal, brittle/ductile transition region to a central,ductile core region. Various transverse cross-sectional configurationsmay be employed, each of which preferably defines plural elongate,sharp-angle edges that run the length of each strand. Several of theseconfigurations are illustrated and described herein.

As will be seen, the proposed armor strands may be assembled for“presentation” to the path of an oncoming projectile in various ways.Two such ways are shown and described herein, one of which involves aweave of strands, and the other of which involves a fabric-containedrandom and chaotic jumble of short, freely mixed “strandlets”.

The strands of this invention respond to an impacting projectile: (a) byfirst cutting the projectile into pieces as a consequence of projectileengagement with the sharp ceramic edges extending along the outsidelengths of the strands; (b) by then undergoing ceramic fragmentation todissipate projectile energy; and (c) by telegraphing such ceramicfragmentation through the above-mentioned brittle/ductile transitionregions to the ductile cores of the strands which then deformelastically to produce further energy dissipation.

Various other features and advantages of the invention will become morefully apparent as the detailed description below is read in conjunctionwith the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a fragment of a somewhat sinuous,square-cross-section armor strand made in accordance with the inventionto perform the invented methodology.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, transverse cross section of the strand shown inFIG. 1, taken generally along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3-8, inclusive, illustrate strand structures each having adifferent cross-sectional configuration which is also different from thetransverse cross section of the strand pictured in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 9 provides a simplified and fragmentary view of a woven fabric,also called herein a weave, formed by strands like the strand picturedin FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 10 is a view of what was referred to above as a “strandlet” whichis somewhat like the strand structure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 11 is a simplified view of a fragment of a prepared, jumbled massof randomly and chaotically assembled (and appropriately contained)strandlets like the one illustrated in FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning now to the drawings, and beginning with a look at FIGS. 1 and 2,indicated generally at 20 is a fragment of an elongate armor strand, orstrand body, which has been made, and which performs, in accordance witha preferred and best mode embodiment of, and manner of practicing, thepresent invention. Strand 20 has a long axis 20 a, and asquare-perimeter cross section, with a transverse side-length dimensionD in the range of about ⅛- to about ¼-inches.

Strand 20 has been made by extrusion preferably from a titanium starter,or precursor, material known as Tiadyne™ 3510, made by ATI Wah Chang inAlbany, Oreg. This principally titanium material is ductile incharacter, and can be prepared into different shapes and configurationsby various conventional manufacturing techniques, such as casting,machining, extruding, etc. In FIG. 1, strand fragment 20 is shown with acurving, sinuous wave in it to illustrate the fact of its basicflexibility and ductility.

In accordance with the invention, however, strand 20 has been furtherprocessed, as by baking in an oven at a temperature of about 1700° F.and in an oxidizing atmosphere, or environment, for a time rangetypically of about 5 minutes to about 1 hour, at user's selection,depending upon the depth of surface processing desired, to create whatis referred to as a brittle, ceramic surface structure 20 b of titaniumdioxide. Creation of this surface structure produces an importantinternal structure within the strand, characterized by “blending”non-discontinuously of surface structure 20 b, through an intermediarybrittle/ductile transition region, or structure, 20 c, to a central,ductile core structure 20 d which contains axis 20 a.

Important to note in the structure of strand 20 is that its outsidesurface includes plural, sharp-angular, elongate edges 20 e defined bythe intersection of pairs of faces, or facial expanses, 20 f which, inthe strand structure illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, intersect at anglesof about 90°. In all versions, or modifications, of armor strandstructure made in accordance with the present invention, it ispreferable that, though not absolutely necessary, all such edges bedefined by surface-intersection angles which are no greater that about90°. Where all strand edges do not meet this criterion, and one versionof the strand structure of this invention is illustrated and describedherein in this status (see FIG. 6), it is important that some strandedges do meet this criterion. Such is true for the just brieflymentioned FIG. 6 modification of the invention.

Turning attention now to FIGS. 3-8, inclusive, here, six alternative,and similarly performing, embodiments of the armor strand structure andassociated methodology of the present invention are shown in transversecross section. All have been processed to create the same-characterinternal structure described above for strand 20.

FIG. 3 illustrates a strand 22 having a long axis 22 a, and a generallyconcavely-sided, triangular, transverse cross section with three sharpedges 22 b. Dimension D here lies typically in the range of about ⅛- toabout ¼-inches.

FIG. 4 shows a strand, or strand body, 24 having a long axis 24 a, twoplanar sides 24 b, and a conversely curved, third side 24 c. This strandincludes three sharp edges, including two which are shown at 24 d thatare defined by an angle which is somewhat greater than that whichdefines the third edge 24 e. Dimension D here is typically the same asthat mentioned above for strands 20, 22.

FIG. 5 pictures a strand 26 which is, essentially, a “slender” versionof strand 24. The reference-number/character labeling here is like thatused in FIG. 4 for strand 24. Dimension D is the same also.

FIG. 6 shows a strand 28 which has a diamond-shaped transverse crosssection, and a long axis 28 a. The unlabeled four edges in this strandexhibit two different sharpnesses, as shown, with the upper and loweredges in the figure being defined each by an angle which is less than90°, and the two “lateral” edges being defined by an angle which isslightly greater than 90°.

FIG. 7 shows a strand 30 having a long axis 30 a. Strand 30 is,essentially, a concavely-sided version of previously described strand20.

FIG. 8 pictures a strand 32 which has a long axis 32 a, and which iseffectively, a planar-sided version of previously described strand 22.

With attention now directed to FIG. 9 along with FIGS. 1-8, inclusive,here there is shown at 34 a fragment of a woven, protective-armorfabric, or fabric weave, which has been made from sets 34 a, 34 b, ofangularly “crossing” armor strands, or strand bodies, drawn from any one(or a mix) of the various armor strand versions previously described andillustrated herein. Preferably, the strands employed in fabric 34 arewoven in such a fashion that, predominately, at least one of the broad“faces” of this fabric (such as the one facing the viewer in FIG. 9) isdefined chiefly by sharp edges in the associated strands. A secondconsideration for the construction of fabric 34 is that the open spaces,such as space 34 c in the fabric, be dimensioned (A) so that the sharpedges in the four armor strands which define this space are close enoughtogether to be certain to engage the smallest-size impacting projectile(such as a bullet) which is anticipated may strike the fabric. Multiplelayers of woven fabric may, of course, be used for protection, ifdesired.

With a fabric like fabric 34 properly created to produce what isreferred to herein as a mass of elongate armor strand elements, and withits broad impact face and the associated sharp edges of stands 34 a, 34b, facing the path of an incoming attack projectile, upon impact of thatprojectile the brittle, ceramic, sharp edges cut the projectile intopieces, with these pieces engaging and plastically fragmenting theoutside surfaces of many adjacent strands. This ceramic fragmentationacts instantly to dissipate the energies of the now cut projectilepieces, and fragmentation events are telegraphed through the associatedbrittle/ductile transition regions in the involved strands, where whatnext occurs is non-fragmentary ductile yielding, and thus further energydissipating furnished by the associated ductile strand core regions.

Thus, instead of a projectile being met by a single (one-time only)fragmentable energy dissipating structure, that projectile is divided bycutting it into many pieces, whose individual trajectories aim them forimpact to a rich field of yet unfragmented, and thus available hardenedceramic fragmentation surfaces, additional cutting edges, and additionalductile yield responses. This is especially the case where fullyassembled protective armor is formed of plural “stacked” fabric layers.

FIGS. 10 and 11 collectively illustrate the structure and use of yetanother implementation of the present invention. Shown at 36 in FIG. 10is a short-length armor strand which is, other than for length L,substantially the same as earlier discussed strand 20. Short strand 36,referred to herein as a strandlet, has a long axis 36 a, and asquare-perimeter cross section with a transverse side length D whichresides typically in the same dimensional range mentioned above forstrand 20. Preferably, dimension L lies in the range of about 2- to8-times dimension D. Thus, where D≈⅛-inches, L≈about ¼-inches to about1-inch. In FIG. 10, D=⅛-inches and L=1-inch.

Strandlet 36 has been processed as described for strand 20 so that ithas a brittle, ceramic, four-cornered outside surface which joinsthrough a brittle/ductile transition region to a ductile core regionadjacent axis 36 a.

When assembled into a fully ready body armor structure, a large mass ofstrandlets 36 are appropriately gathered into what is referred to hereinas a random, chaotic jumble, such as that shown at 38 in FIG. 11.Preferably, strandlets 36 in mass 38 are contained in a fabric, orfabric container structure, 40 which is made to be like above-discussedfabric 34. Specifically, mass 38 is contained within what is referred toherein as a fillable reception zone 40 a within fabric 40. Such anarrangement produces a formidable barrier to an attacking projectile.Impacting projectiles are cut into many pieces instantly upon impact.These pieces engage a dense thicket of “ready and available” ceramicfragmentation surfaces, each of which presents additional hardenedcutting edges and fragmentation surfaces, all backed up, so-to-speak, byductile response cores in the actively engaged strandlets.

Thus, disclosed herein are a novel strand-form body armor material, anda methodology offered by it to disable an impacting projectile utilizinga unique style of disabling response-performance.

The strand material which implements the methodology of the inventionincludes (a) a strand body possessing an elongate brittle ceramicsurface structure, (b) an elongate ductile core structure disposedwithin that surface structure, and (c) elongate brittle/ductiletransition structure operatively interposed and joining the surface andcore structures. This strand material may be employed, for examples, asa random mass of short strandlets deployed in a suitable container, andas a woven fabric structure formed from long stretches of the strandmaterial.

The method of utilizing the strand material for disabling an impactingprojectile according to the invention includes the steps of preparing adefined mass of elongate ceramic-surfaced, ductile-cored strandelements, each including, along the outside of its length, elongate,sharp-angular edges, and placing that mass in the impact path of such aprojectile in a manner whereby edges in the strands face the projectileimpact path.

The response performance of the strand material includes usingfragmentation of the surface-hardened ceramic material to dissipateenergy, cutting an impacting projectile into fragments and deflectingthose fragments, and telegraphing fragmentation of the ceramic materialthrough a brittle/ductile region in the strand material to a ductilecore-region wherein resulting deformation of this core region furtherdissipates projectile energy

From the description and illustrations provided herein, those skilled inthe relevant art will recognize that variations and modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all suchvariations and modifications are intended to come within the scopes ofthe claims herein.

1. A armoring method for disabling a dangerous projectile, such as abullet, comprising preparing a defined mass of elongateceramic-surfaced, ductile-cored strand elements, each including, alongthe outside of its length, elongate, sharp-angular edges, and placingthat mass in the impact path of such a projectile in a manner wherebyedges in the strands face the projectile impact path.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein said preparing includes creating a weave of such strandelements.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said preparing includescreating a chaotic, random jumble of such strand elements.
 4. The methodof claim 3, wherein the elements are sized in such a fashion that theirlengths lie in the range of about 2- to about 8-times their maximumtransverse cross-sectional dimensions.
 5. The method of claim 1, whereinthe mentioned edges are formed by intersecting outside surfaces in theelements which meet at an angle that is preferably no more than about90°.